Seam.



1. E. McLOUGHLIN.

' SEAM. APPLICATION FILED AUG-22. 1914- Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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NTT T E ATENT FFTEE.

SEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Application filed August'22, 1914. Serial No. 858,116.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN EDWARD Mo- LoUcHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in $eams,. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to seams, and with regard to certain more specific features thereof, to seamed fabric and the method of making same.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an improved seam or joint between two fabrics or between different portions of the same piece of fabric, which will be strong and durable. V

It is another object of the invention to provide a seam of a substantially smooth character, so that when, for instance, in.

the case of av garment the seam is positioned next to or near the. flesh of the wearer said seam will not unduly bear thereon and stop or impede the free circulation of the blood.

Another object lies in the provision of effective and reliable means whereby the raw edges of the fabric are controlled and an even and sightly seam produced. 7

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. v

The invention accordingly consists in the several steps and the relation and order of one or more of such steps with relation to each of the others thereof, and in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the method hereinafter disclosed and the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of each of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention :Figure l is a view illustrating a step in the method of producing a seam which consists in bringing together portions of the fabric and in overstitching or whipping or otherwise permanently securing said portions in juxtaposition. Fig.

2 is a View looking at the reverse side of Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a View illustrating another step in the method showing a secondaryseam,

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the reverse side of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a view in crosssection taken on line 5-5, of Fig. 4:, showing the substantially flat character of the finished seam.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate either different portions of the same piece of fabric or separate pieces of fabric. These portions or pieces, as the casemay be, are provided with inturned edges 3 and 4:, preferably formed by the termination of threads of which the fabric is composed, as for instance would be provided by a raw edge, and are so matched or lapped that portions 5 and 6 of similarly related sides of the fabric are juxtaposed. This relative position of the fabric portions is secured, and a substantial union is formed by stitching the same together along a line spaced from the edges of the fabric the stitches preferably comprising extended POhlOIlS or loops which pass across the edges of the fabric portions, these loops giving this line of stitches a whipping character. ()bviously the whipping may be omitted and a plain or other stitch substituted, within the purview of this invention. It will be apparent that the joint so formed may protrude to some extent from the natural plane of the fabric, thereby presenting a sharp rib or ridge which if worn next to a persons skin would, under the natural tension of the knitted fabric, or under pres sure, as by a corset, produce undue pressure thereon, tend to stop the free circulation of the blood, and incommode the wearer. To avoid such conditions is one of the objects of the invention, and in the present embodiment the said rib is flattened, preferably by placing the fabric upon a mandrel and applying pressure to the protruding edges as by a hammer operating to inflict rapidly successive blows upon the joint while the fabric is fed relative to a secondary stitching mechanism, the raw edges of the threads being thus bent and forced toward the union in a manner to produce a matte of the thread ends. It will be obvious of course that the flattening need not take place until after the second stitching operation, the main idea being to obtain a fiat and substantially smooth union. Y

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing the secondary or reinforcing seam 10 is clearly illustrated. In making this scam it has been found desirable to employ six separate threads, although a greater or less number of threads might be used without departing from the scope of the invention in its broad aspect. Three of the threads employed indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 by the numerals 11, 12 and 13, are stitched in longitudinal parallel lines generally parallel to the line of union, providing loops on both sides of the plane of the fabric. Associated with the loops on one side of the fabric, preferably the side designed to be worn next to the person, there is, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, a thread 14 which passes through one loop in each longitudinal line of stitching and around the next succeeding loop in each of said lines, preferably continuing in this path throughout the stitching operation. On the opposite side of the plane of the fabric, as clearly shown in Fig. at, two threads 15 and 16 pass respectively in opposite directions through one loop in each longitudinal line of stitching; thence through the next succeeding loop in each of said lines, and so on throughout the entire stitching operation. The secondary or reinforcing seam so formed serves reliably to prevent relative separation between the fabric portions 1 and 2; also serves to provide an effective network or mesh over the raw edges of the fabric and the binding seam 7, and further serves to modify the sharp effect of the joint and to present a wider contacting area of a substantially flat character. The completed seam is attractive, highly durable and comfortable, and it will be obvious that it comprises all the objects and advantages'here- 'inbefore pointed out.

While applicant does not limit himself to the particular form of stitch described as comprised by his secondary seam, nevertheless such form is preferred, as the transverse thread 14 is associated with the longitudinal lines of stitching in such a manner that little yield is permitted and this thread 14 passing through a loop of each line of stitching and around the next succeeding loop of each line of stitching provides a plurality of relatively obliquely disposed thread portions or criss-crosses, whereby a finer mesh is obtained, better adapted to confine the raw edges of the fabric.

By constructing a seam or seamed fabric in accordance with the foregoing, the threads which terminate in the edges of the fabric are compressed, or bent toward the stitched line of union of the fabric portions forming a generally matted arrangement,

which is relatively flat and soft, and has little or vno tendency to seriously impair the comfort of the wearer of a garment embodying the seam. Any substantial tendency to such effect is practically eliminated by the secondary stitches extending transversely of the edges of the fabric portions, and tending to retain the threads of the fabric in bent or compressed condition.

As many changescould be made in carrying out the above method, and in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or-shown in the accompanying drawings shall be in terpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of'the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a scam, the combination with a jointed fabric, of three longitudinal lines of stitches connected together transversely 011 one side of the plane of the fabric by a thread which passes through a loop in each of said lines of stitches and around the next succeeding loop in each of said lines, and

joint in the fabric from one of the other said" lines. 7

2. In a seam, the combination with a jointed fabric, of three longitudinal lines of stitches connected together transversely on one side of the plane of the fabric by a thread which passes through a loop in each of said lines of stitches and around the next succeeding loop in each ofsaid lines, and by two threads on the other side of the plane of the fabric which pass respectively in opposite directions through aloop in each of said lines and through the next succeeding loop in each of said lines, one of said longitudinal lines of stitches being on the opposite side of the joint in the fabric from one of the other of said lines.

3. In a seam, the combination with 'a jointed fabric, of three longitudinal lines of stitches connected together transversely by a thread which passes over the joint and through a loop in each of said lines of stitches and around the next succeeding loop in each of said lines.

4. A fabric comprising lapped portions presenting a raw edge, a line of stitches alongside said edge, stitches transversely over said raw edge, the threads of the fabric generally parallel to said line of union, said JOHN EDXVARD MGLOUGHLIV.

transverse stitches comprising a thread Which Witnesses passes through the loops in each of said R. P. MOLOUGi-ILIN, three additional lines of stitches and around A. C. BIRCH.

included in said raw edge being compressed the next succeeding loops in each of said toward the line of union formed by said three lines of stitches. 10 first-mentioned stitches to form a matted In testimony whereof I afiix my signaportion, and three additional lines of stitches ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

